Bullheads win twice

July 16, 2013

BLOOMINGTON - Doug Ekstrom, shortstop for the Searles Bullheads 35-and-over baseball team, was the seventh-inning star in their 5-3, come-from-behind victory over the Bloomington Eagles on Sunday afternoon.

The Bullheads, trailing 3-2 going into the final inning, loaded the bases with two outs. Then with a full count, Ekstrom sent a shot to left-center field, just out of reach of the center fielder for a three-run double. Scoring on the play were Kurt Thorson, Bruce Jacobs, and Craig Schmitz.

Scott Rummel picked up the win for Searles, going all seven innings. Rummel gave up three unearned runs and allowed just five hits. Schmitz got on base all five times, going 2-for-2, plus two walks and a hit by pitch, and scored three runs.

On Friday night the Bullheads got their first of two weekend wins by defeating the St. Louis Park Cardinals by a score of 4-3. In that game, the Schaefer brothers provided the seventh inning heroics. With runners on first and second and no one out, Corey Schaefer hit a double just inside the right field foul line to drive in the tying run. Scott Schaefer followed with the game-winning RBI single to take the lead 4-3.

With one out in the bottom of the seventh, St. Louis Park got a runner on first on a throwing error. However, on an attempted steal, catcher Scott Schaefer threw a perfect strike to second baseman Corey to retire the runner.

Kevin Hulke, pitching for Searles, got the last batter to ground out to Corey to end the game. Hulke pitched the complete game, giving up three runs on nine hits. Neil Kulevsky had three of the Cardinal hits.

Leading the Bullheads in hitting were Corey Schaefer, who went 3-for-4 and Scott Schaefer, who was 2-for-3 with two RBI.

With the two wins, the Bullheads currently have a four-game winning streak and evened their season record at 5-5. Their next game is at the Searles ballpark Friday night at 8 p.m. against Shakopee.

On Saturday the Bullheads travel to Jordan to play the Jordan Alers in a 3 p.m. game.